I am a minority male (referencing how minority is considered in our country). I am a black male and therefore, being realistic, there wasn’t high expectations for my future. There were two expectations for my life and I heard these expectations time and again throughout my life because I attended all black primary and secondary schools. People would always say:
“You are going to end up in two places as a black male–prison or a graveyard.”
Well, the latter is inevitable, but I guess the sentiment was that I would end up being shot because I would ultimately sell drugs as a means of income because their would not be other options for me beyond that of the community that I live. And, for other minorities, such as Hispanics, those expectations were the same. What was different in my life is that I had parents, family, teachers, and even church members who told me otherwise and therefore, although not at the point I would like to be in my life, I didn’t succumb to the low expectations society had created for me.
And, I realize that so many of my peers didn’t succumb to those expectations either.
This past weekend the regional organization for the department that I work for had its annual Tri-State conference in Charleston, SC. I served as a committee chair so for the past seven months we’ve been in constant communication with our three Tri-State chairs planning and organizing the conference. Our committees are made up of all different races, genders, socioeconomic backgrounds, and varying experiences in general.
Throughout the planning for this event we would have conference calls every two weeks for updates, advice, approvals, etc from our chairs and our last meeting was the Sunday the conference began this past weekend. As we sat in the hotel boardroom to begin and all three chairs sat down to begin the meeting I realized something.
All three chairs were minority men under the age of 35. Two black, one hispanic. All married and all directors of their respective programs at the home institution for which they work. All optimistic young men who consistently encourage his staff to be successful and all willing to go the extra mile to ensure their staff is guided in the right direction and all three have worked together diligently without a hint of disagreement, jealously, malice, etc.
As I sat back and watched these young men facilitate this meeting advising their committees made up of people who some exceeded them in age by more than 25 years made me proud. They had proven, even at a regional level, that young minority men can have leadership roles and be succesful. And, the reviews for the conference and its organization were mostly positive and it was both enjoyable and educational.
I would like to congratulate these young men and their continued effort to prove that myths created about race and gender are not true. Antonio Robinson, who is the Director of Upward Bound Math Science in Charleston, SC, Ray Cabrera, Coordinator of Upward Bound in Florida, and William Troy Curry, Director of Talent Search in Atlanta, Georgia.
You guys are my heroes! Much respect!
J. Prince, Princepality 35
Princepality 